The Old Formalism: Character in Contemporary American PoetryUniversity of Arkansas Press, 01.01.1999 - 144 Seiten Our appreciation of American poetry is as influenced by the personas presented in the poems as by public perception of the poets themselves. Emily Dickinson peeking from behind a doorway with large dark eyes is an indelible image superimposed over her spare, enigmatic poems. The grand gestures of Walt Whitman's voice have much to do with our reading of "Song of Myself." And we cannot hear "Mending Wall" or "Mowing" without thinking of the image of the rustic, sly farmer-poet that Robert Frost so carefully cultivated. The moral authority of the poet reveals itself through the poems as well, and it is crucial to the meaning of the poem, Holden argues, if art is to elevate life. Part 1 of The Old Formalism,"The Practice," is a close study of some of the conventions and developments in contemporary American poetry, with such topics as "sex and poetry" "rhetoricity," and "sensibility." Holden shows lucidly how character--or lack of it--is revealed in poetry. In "Personae," the second part, he gives a studied reading of a group of several admired poets, such as Richard Hugo, Mary Kinzie, Ted Kooser, and William Stafford. Holden uses biographical references and personal contacts with the poets to strengthen the notion of character revealed in poetry. This book takes a decided stand in the ongoing debate of the past two decades about the relationship of American poetry to American culture. In an age when image dominates word, and the business of poetry is nearly as celebrity-laden as Hollywood, Holden takes us past the media glitz, backstage where the poems are waiting to be read. Quite simply, in a clear, incisive manner, he teaches us how to read well again. |
Inhalt
Character in Contemporary American Poetry | 3 |
American Male Poetry of Sensibility | 15 |
Mauvaise Foi | 23 |
Sex and Poetry | 33 |
Rhetoricity | 41 |
The Public Nature of EndRhymed Poems | 51 |
The Old Formalism | 63 |
Poet as Odysseus | 77 |
The Chekhov of American Poetry | 89 |
The Permission | 95 |
The Poet as Clown | 105 |
Genius in Camouflage | 119 |
The Moral Urgency | 127 |
Hilda Raz and the Music of Pain | 133 |
Conclusion | 139 |
Andere Ausgaben - Alle anzeigen
Old Formalism: Character in Contemporary American Poetry (p) Jonathan Holden Eingeschränkte Leseprobe - 1999 |
The Old Formalism: Character in Contemporary American Poetry Jonathan Holden Keine Leseprobe verfügbar - 1999 |
Häufige Begriffe und Wortgruppen
accentual-syllabic prosody accentual-syllabic verse aesthetic Altieri's Auden audience authenticity beautiful begins called character cold confessional conventional dark decorum describes dramatic lyric emotional End-Rhymed Poems epiphany essay ethos example eyes famous feel formalist free verse hand Hugo's humor imagine James Hillman joke kind Kinzie Kinzie's Kloefkorn landscape language late Leonard Nathan light lives look lovers Marilyn Hacker Mary Kinzie means metaphor mind moral Nathan's natural night passage Paul Zimmer perhaps poem's poet poet's poetic poetry reading prose prosody reader reminiscent Reprinted by permission rhetoric rhyme Richard Hugo Richard Wilbur's Ryan Ryan's Satan seems sense sexual shadow slap sound stand-up stand-up comedy Stoller story style syllable talk Ted Kooser things tion touch town traditional prosodies trimeter Trowbridge turn vers libre vision voice watch West Marginal William Kloefkorn William Stafford word writing wrote
Beliebte Passagen
Seite 42 - But now afflictions bow me down to earth: Nor care I that they rob me of my mirth; But oh! each visitation Suspends what nature gave me at my birth, My shaping spirit of Imagination.
Seite 37 - I am given up by traitors, I talk wildly, I have lost my wits, I and nobody else am the greatest traitor, I went myself first to the headland, my own hands carried me there. You villain touch ! what are you doing ? my breath is tight in its throat, Unclench your floodgates, you are too much for me.
Seite 36 - Is this then a touch? quivering me to a new identity, Flames and ether making a rush for my veins, Treacherous tip of me reaching and crowding to help them, My flesh and blood playing out lightning to strike what is hardly different from myself...
Seite 53 - Something, whose truth convinced at sight we find, That gives us back the image of our mind.
Seite 13 - Defenceless under the night Our world in stupor lies; Yet, dotted everywhere, Ironic points of light Flash out wherever the Just Exchange their messages: May I, composed like them Of Eros and of dust, Beleaguered by the same Negation and despair, Show an affirming flame.
Seite 64 - Now shall I make my soul, Compelling it to study In a learned school Till the wreck of body, Slow decay of blood, Testy delirium Or dull decrepitude...
Seite xvii - Traveling through the dark I found a deer dead on the edge of the Wilson River road. It is usually best to roll them into the canyon: that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead.
Seite 42 - As far as metre acts in and for itself, it tends to increase the vivacity and susceptibility both of the general feelings and of the attention. This effect it produces by the continued excitement of surprise, and by the quick reciprocations of curiosity still gratified and still re-excited, which are too slight indeed to be at any one moment objects of distinct consciousness, yet become considerable in their aggregate influence.